Ten Years
by Star of Heaven
Summary: After the events of Battle City, Mai finds comfort in Shizuka. But a part of her wonders if that is right. [Mai x Shizuka]


_Ten Years_

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! (Like there was any doubt.) Enjoy the lovely shoujo ai. (There needs to be more of it in this fandom.)

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How long had it been since Battle City? A week? A month? Kujaku Mai really couldn't tell. It still felt so real in her nightmares. Many times she would wake up and find herself drenched in sweat. 

But her nightmares were becoming less and less frequent. She no longer felt so hopeless. She owed that to the small ray of hope that had guided her through the darkness.

Mai held the sleeping Kawai Shizuka in her arms just a little tighter. Even though they were sleeping in the same bed, their relationship was not sexual in the least bit. They had been in a relationship for a few weeks now. At first, the blonde had been uncomfortable at the idea of being romantically involved with a girl ten years younger than she was, but then she figured it would be all right as long as she didn't make any sexual advances toward Shizuka.

They kept their relationship a secret, but that grew harder with each passing day. Every time Mai looked at Shizuka, she fell more and more in love with the brunette.

The sun was rising now, so Mai felt more awake. She gently kissed Shizuka's forehead and sat up. This had been the first night they had spent together. Shizuka had told her mother that she was sleeping over at a friend's and had given her mother Mai's address and phone number, but she didn't mention that Mai was actually her twenty-four year-old girlfriend.

Mai slowly got out of bed, being extremely careful not to disturb Shizuka. She went to her closet to pick out something to wear, and left her bedroom to head to the bathroom to get washed up and dressed.

Once Mai was done with that, she decided to make breakfast for herself and Shizuka. But when she stepped into the kitchen, she found Shizuka already making something.

"Good morning, Mai-san," Shizuka greeted, turning her head.

Mai chuckled lightly as she wrapped her arms around Shizuka's shoulders from behind. "You don't have to be so formal," she pointed out teasingly.

"But it's such a hard habit to break, Mai-_chan_."

"That sounds so much more natural."

Shizuka was finished with the eggs, and she divided them evenly between her and Mai. After they sat down at the table and began eating, the older woman remarked that these were the best eggs that she ever had. That caused the young girl to blush uncontrollably. Once Shizuka was done eating, she neatly stacked her dishes and went to get washed up and dressed.

Mai leaned back in her chair. She was happiest whenever Shizuka was near her. When the brunette wasn't, the blonde couldn't stop thinking about the darkness Malik Ishtar had trapped her in and all the loneliness and fear that she had felt. She truly did love Shizuka, but a part of her wondered if she was just using the young girl for comfort.

The telephone began to ring, breaking Mai's train of thought. She stood up and answered it. "Hello, Kujaku residence," she said into the mouthpiece.

"Hello," greeted the woman on the other line. "May I speak to my daughter, please?"

"Sure, hold on," Mai requested. She lowered the phone from her face and called out, "Shizuka-chan, your mother's on the phone!"

"I'll be there in a moment," Shizuka replied from the bathroom. A few seconds later, she stepped into the kitchen and accepted the phone from Mai. "Hello, Mom," she greeted. There was a pause before she spoke again. "I'm having a great time with Mai-chan. Don't worry, I'll be home later so that I can get a good-night's sleep before I go to school tomorrow." Another pause. "Thanks, Mom. I'll be good. 'Bye." She hung up the phone.

Mai smiled as she studied Shizuka carefully. The young girl was dressed in the black skirt and the white button-up shirt the older woman had brought for her yesterday. "You look very nice in that," Mai complimented.

"Thanks," Shizuka replied, blushing a little. "So what would you like to do now?"

"I was thinking about a walk," Mai said, looking out the window. "It does seem like a nice day."

Shizuka nodded in agreement, and then she and Mai put on their shoes and stepped outside. They started to walk down the sidewalk, their backs to the bright morning sun.

"Mai-chan, being with you makes me so happy," Shizuka admitted, a bit unexpectedly.

"And being with you makes me happy," Mai replied. Because there were few other people around, she was comfortable with wrapping her arm around Shizuka's shoulders.

Shizuka had been the first person Mai had seen after she had been freed from the darkness. It had been at that time when she had fallen in love with the young girl. She was eternally grateful to Shizuka for staying by her side. "Thank you, Shizuka-chan," she whispered.

"Huh?" Shizuka sounded, looking up at Mai. "Did you say something?"

Mai just smiled mysteriously.

They were now walking down a tree-lined sidewalk. The leaves were a spring green and the sun shone brightly upon them. There were no clouds to interfere with the sun's light. This was truly a beautiful day.

Soon Mai and Shizuka were sitting on an old, sturdy bench. Because it was so out of the way and there was no one else around, Shizuka rested her head on Mai's left shoulder.

"Mai-chan, can I ask you something?" Shizuka wondered.

"Sure," Mai allowed.

"Do you think I'm abnormal?"

"No, of course not. Why would you even ask that?"

Shizuka sighed. "Well, I'm only fourteen and I find myself attracted toward another woman. I mean, how many others my age already know their sexual orientation?"

Mai curled her arm around the back of Shizuka's head and stroked the left side of the brunette's face. "You just matured faster than most others your age," the blonde figured. "That's perfectly normal."

"Mai-chan, I really do love you. But you're ten years older. I know I shouldn't worry, but how would everybody react if they found out I was dating a twenty-four year-old woman? How would my mother react? She would be so ashamed of me."

"You shouldn't concern yourself with the age difference. I should, though, since I'm the adult." Mai paused for a second. "Shizuka-chan, I was uncomfortable with the idea of dating someone as young as you. But I couldn't stop loving you. You saved me from being lost in the darkness. When I was afraid all my friends would leave me, you stayed by my side."

Shizuka smiled. "Maybe there isn't anything for us to worry about," she thought out loud. "Still, I don't want to tell my mother about us yet."

Mai gently rubbed her lips against Shizuka's hair. "When you're ready, I'll be there to support you," she promised. "You should tell her soon, you know."

"I will, don't worry. I just need to wait a little longer."

After a while, Shizuka and Mai stood up and started to walk again. It had been about an hour since they had left Mai's house, and the sun was shining brighter than ever now.

Mai thought about how pretty Shizuka was. If the young girl was this beautiful now, then the older woman could only imagine how beautiful she would be when she grew up. Mai couldn't wait for that time. And then maybe she wouldn't be so afraid to touch Shizuka.

Mai took Shizuka's hand into hers and squeezed just slightly. A part of her believed it was wrong to love such a young girl, but she was constantly shutting that part out of her mind. She wanted to love Shizuka, for the brunette made her feel strong and worthwhile. And she knew Shizuka felt the same way about her.

Suddenly, Mai halted and brought Shizuka into her arms. "Shizuka-chan, I love you."

Shizuka returned Mai's embrace. "I love you too, Mai-chan." She lifted her chin up, and she and Mai kissed. It was a small kiss, but even the smallest of kisses could express all their love for each other.

After the sweet kiss, Shizuka tucked her head under Mai's chin. "Mai-chan, I want you to meet my mother," she decided. "We'll let her get to know you first before we tell her about our relationship."

"That'll be nice," Mai commented. She tilted Shizuka's face upwards and kissed the young girl again. This time they savored the taste of the other's lips.

END


End file.
